Court orders release of Muslim drug suspect as DOJ chief maintains, 'withdrawal of case all legal'
Free as a bird. Or so it would be for controversial drug suspect now a free man, Cairoden Abdullah following a recent release order by the Court.
And despite strong objections by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) here, no less than Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez backed the said release.
In fact, for the Ilonggo Secretary, the State's case was 'flawed' from the start with the evidences "possibly planted."
As such, Gonzalez maintained the propriety and regularity of the release vis-a-vis the earlier Resolution calling for the withdrawal of the complaint against Abdullah.
The Secretary issued the statement when reached for comment by Bombo Radyo Iloilo.
To note, Abdullah's case was deemed 'unique' from all other cases handled by the PDEA. With some two years into the hearing, the Court later received a DOJ Resolution for its withdrawal.
The Resolution was promulgated May 19, 2008 at the height of the case heard before Branch 36 of the 6th Regional Trial Court (RTC) here.
Docketed as Criminal Case No. 05-61786, Abdullah stood as sole respondent/accused for violation of Section 11, Republic Act 9165 otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.
Principal complainants in the case were PDEA's Police Officer (PO) 2 Robert Catubuan and PO 1 Jonel Docdocil.
"This resolves complainants' motion for reconsideration of our resolution promulgated on 8 August 2006 (Resolution No. 566, series of 2006) reversing the resolution of the City Prosecutor of Iloilo City and directing him to cause the withdrawal of the information filed against respondent Cairoden Abdullah," the Resolution went, a copy of which was obtained by The News Today (TNT). "After judicious examination of the motion and the records of this case, we find no cogent reason to alter or modify, much less reverse, our findings. The grounds raised in this instant motion were already duly considered and passed upon in the resolution sought to be reconsidered. Wherefore, the motion for reconsideration is hereby Denied."
The DOJ secretary signed the then controversial Resolution.
To recall, Abdullah was arrested in a supposed drug bust in his house where 11.74 grams of Shabu otherwise known as "poor man's cocaine" here was reportedly recovered.
The release order was issued by Judge Evelyn Salao of Branch 25, 6th Regional Trial Court. The order was dated July 31, 2008 but was only made public this week.